CM KCR puts Kaleshwaram Project on fast-track

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced that Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) will be filled with water from Kaleshwaram Project this year itself. For this, the chief minister has instructed officials to put the works pertaining to pump house at Rampur in Jagtial district on fast-track.

From this July, water will be lifted from Kaleshwaram and pumped to the Mid Manair and SRSP.

KCR on Tuesday visited and reviewed progress of the works of Sriram Sagar Revival Scheme taken up as part of the Kaleshwaram project.

He examined the works of eight pump houses at Srirampur and held a review meeting with the officials. Construction of Rampur pump house is an important component of the SRSP revival scheme, and it should be completed on a war-footing, he told officials.

The CM instructed the officials to complete the works on five pump houses within a month and works on the remaining three by August. He asked them to make arrangement for the necessary power supply.

Since Godavari water flows till October and November, pumping should be done till then for the SRSP, KCR said and ordered the officials to work towards supplying of water under SRSP Ayacut for the second crop from this year onwards.

He also asked the work agencies to employ more people, if need be, to reach the target on time.

Generally, a mega project like Kaleshwaram will take about 15 to 20 years to complete, he said, but the Telangana government in a short span of two-and-a- half years, took up important barrages and pump houses to lift water from Godavari to farm lands. "This is a miracle, which will be written in the annals of history," he said.

The CM, who is keen to complete the works on Kaleswaram Project in time, made a second visit to the project site within a span of 15 days. On May 19, the CM visited Medigadda Barrage and Kannepally pump houses.

Despite the severe heat conditions, the CM went around the sites and interacted with the officials and engineers and gave them suitable instructions. He also undertook an aerial survey over Godavari basin region and barrages.